I'd like to point out once again, that it's not down to "my" opinion, but God's word in the bible. Why must I keep pointing this out? I am not forcing anybody into anything, do you not have a free will as I do?
You are not in the US so you are not part of the movement that is trying to enact laws to restrict the freedom of certain groups of people.
As a Christian, it is right to inform and warn people if that is what we have been told to do by Christ should they lose their way and ultimately their own souls.... What kind of a Christian does not? when Christ has given such dire warnings?
I have said that there is nothing wrong with you speaking your opinion. In fact, I support you fully in your right to speak freely. You can share Christ with anyone you like and I have no objection to that even if I disagree with you. What I object to is those that want to force others to act Christian by using the legal system to do so.
However, if you decry anti-Christian behavior yet say that you have no problem with the teaching of non-Christian faiths, then it might seem a bit hypocritical. I don't think you have ever done that though.
Now, if it's ok for those on here to express their contrary to Christ views and not have that seen as force....why is it suddenly "force" when I express God's word from the bible? How is it "not forcing" when it's a viewpoint of "unbelief" or "liberalism", yet it's forcing if it's "fundamental Christianity"....one rule for you guys and one rule for the rest of us?
I never said that it was "force" when you express your interpretation of "God's view from the Bible". In fact this is the third time I have said to you that I fully support your being able to do so.
What one may consider as a "right" or "sexual freedom", may not be seen as a right or "freedom" from our side, and certainly, if we are to believe Christ, is anything BUT "freedom" and "rights", but instead captivity in sin which leads to eternal death, which Christ died on the cross to redeem us from (should we accept it). What you may consider "forcing" from fundamentalists, is very much misinterpreted and perhaps deliberately so. The gospel is preached for the good of others and the hope of saving souls, not for their undoing! However, if this is the way you wish to accuse, then one could turn it back just as easily, considering sin is hardly a "right" or "freedom", unless of course Christ lied and died in vain.
What you or anyone else believes is classified as a right is irrelevant. What is preached about those behaviors is irrelevant in this discussion. Preaching is not legislating, this conversation is about trying to legislate behavior for one group because it is a sin while refusing to try and legislate behavior for another group even though that behavior is also a big sin.
Do you think it would be better in your country if the Christian churches could force people into pews or write laws like "no divorce unless there has been marital unfaithfulness"?
You may wish to present fundamental Christianity as "force", but the opposite is actually true. The amount of filth that is forced onto us all (and children) on a daily basis through TV, books, society itself speaks volumes..... I can hardly watch television anymore without it.. If I want to avoid that, I have to go out of my way to do so, or turn the TV off.
If you can turn the TV off, and not read the books or magazines, how is this lifestyle being "forced" on you? Is the presence of two guys walking hand in hand forcing that lifestyle on your children any more than the evangelist in Cathedral Square is forcing his religion on the little Muslim children walking by? You made the statement that you expressing your views in public isn't forcing those views on anyone...and I agree with that. How can you now say that those two guys are forcing their lifestyle on your children?
THere is ONE channel that preaches the gospel on my TV, and some bibles lying on my bookshelf, neither of which force me into viewing or reading, but are an invitation always. Yet there are many more reading/viewing material of adultery/fornication and total disregard to God and His commandments on a daily basis throughout so many other areas of life. Great for the kids eh? And yet you talk about the force of "fundamental Christianity"...when in fact, the opposite seems to prevail "unnoticed". I actually have to seek any Christianity out, search for it and hold onto it! I'll tell you where I get my sanity. Not from this degraded/corrupted and "liberal" society, but THE BIBLE, prayer/Christ and those like-minded in Christ(whom I consider brothers and sisters in Christ).
You have to seek out your Christianity? How many churches are in your town? When did they go into hiding? How much are black market Bibles in your town? When did your government make Christianity illegal?
You are not required to accept any of "liberal society's" allowable behavior. The same law that allows Playboy to publish their magazine allows the Gideons to place their Bibles in hotels. In fact, you can give Bibles or the Koran to children but not a Playboy, so the Bible and the Koran are allowed more freedom. No one has legislated that you have to buy and read a Playboy so that smut is not forced on you.
On a side note: Do you complain that the Koran is so freely available?
If it was down to my personal flawed opinion, outside of Christ? I wouldn't have much of an issue with homosexuality, NOR fornication. I'd have no ultimate reason to do so. If we arose without purpose and without an ultimate law giver, then we can decide for ourselves and your "rights" do not have to be "mine" or anybody else's. We can do whatever WE decide is "ok".
However, this is not about my wordly and flawed eyed opinion. This is very much down to what God Himself has commanded and stated throughout the bible and it is most definitely HIS business! As much as we may wish to cherry pick, the bible is not a smorgus board. Do you really think that I find it easy to try and comply with everything? Of course not. Because I'm a sinner and I have temptations/weaknesss like everybody else. Problems with purity and all those things that I'm sure we all battle with. Now, is it "sexual freedom"? or is it a gift that has no right to be misused/abused from a loving God who gave that to each of us to express responsibly and within marriage for bonding/procreation? I need to wake up and quit seeing things through the eyes of "men", and open my mind and my heart to an unlimited God who died on my account (on yours too).
You have decided to live your life by your interpretation of the Bible. That's fine. You can even declare to me and everyone else that we should live our lives by your interpretation of the Bible. I have no problem with that. I would have a problem if you tried to change the laws of your country so that I must live my life by your interpretation of the Bible. The changing of the laws is the crux of my complaint in this thread, not your voicing of your beliefs or opinions.
Men are limited, flawed, sinful. God is unlimited, loving, perfect, selfless (died on a cross for me (and you)....this is why when people who close their minds and hearts to Christ, consider this "open minded" which winds up meaning absolutely nothing and becomes nothing more than a contradictory cliche and a flawed one at that. I can open my mind to anything (to drugs too if I want). Does that make me "open minded"? Am I "open minded" because I'm "willing to accept anything, so long as it's not God"? or it's "outside of His will for us"?
Worshiping another god is outside of His will, yet you see no Christians trying to legislate that out of the country.
Is someone being open minded when they experiment sexually, going so far as to try out animals and children too?
Is there something about homosexual behavior that automatically gets Christians thinking about bestiality and pedophilia? You realize that animals and children cannot give informed consent, don't you? So that type of behavior falls in the same category as rape.
You see how the "open minded" comments start to look absoultely ludicrous when they are exposed for what they are?
I guess I'll see when you come up with an example or analogy that actually applies to the subject at hand.
All persons are called to holiness without exception. Nothing is impossible with God. Even the worst sinner can become a saint with the grace of God. Part of this process is humility and being honest with ourselves and God and opening ourselves up to His grace, so that He can work in us. We all have the tendency to rebel (after the fall). Our sin nature is something God encourages us to battle and at the end of it all the rewards far outweigh the temporary difficulties and falls we have during our lifetime (which He is always there to help us back up).
Satan himself rebelled and encourages us to do likewise. It is a spiritual battle more than anything else! It's not a bad thing, I'd like to have something to show for what God has done for me and promised for me. If God did not allow consequences for sin and free will, we would never grow and learn from our own sin, or anybody else's. Our maturity would be stunted spiritually.
Does this mean you believe we should have laws that restrict sin? Should we outlaw pornography? Adultery? Should we outlaw alcohol and close all the bars? If we do that shouldn't we also close down the temples to other gods?
Christ set the example and had a tough life. Nobody can ever say "God doesn't know how it feels". He knows intimately.
Does He? When did he ever doubt the existence of God? When was He ever out of communication with God? That's two things He didn't experience.
